Important Takeaways:
- Watch: Mount Etna puffs giant smoke rings in ‘extraordinary’ phenomenon
- Mount Etna is one of a handful of volcanoes around the world that produces the rings, and does so prolifically, but the latest emissions are exceptional, scientists say.
- “No volcano on earth produces so many rings of steam as Etna. We have known this for quite some time. But now it is beating all previous records,” said Boris Behncke, a volcanologist at the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology of Catania. He has been studying the volcano and living close to it for the past 25 years.
- He said that on late Tuesday a small vent opened on the north-east edge of the south-east crater, which had emitted puffs of incandescent gas.
- The following morning, it became clear that these puffs were creating “an impressive quantity” of vortex rings, he said.
- Experts say the unusual rings are harmless and aren’t necessarily a prelude to an imminent eruption.
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Important Takeaways:
- Mount Etna, the largest volcano in Europe located on the eastern coast of Sicily, reactivated on November 12, erupting with lava flows and spewing ash plumes up to approximately 4.5 km above sea level, according to La Sicilia.
- Experts from the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology Observatory of Etna in Catania monitor the situation, analyze eruption images, and observe the emission of ash clouds from surveillance cameras
- According to scientists, the eruption is in a paroxysmal phase.
- Activity with ash emissions is coming from the southeast crater of the volcano, causing ashfall in villages to the north. Lava fountains also shoot several kilometers into the air.
- The eruption was accompanied by a continuous increase in Etna’s seismic activity, signaling the rise of molten magma within the internal channels of the volcanic structure and heralding lava fountains with a strong gas emission.
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Important Takeaways:
- Satellites show Mount Etna volcano erupt after weeks of puffing out smoke rings
- The eruption, which also produced spectacular geysers of lava, posed no risk to residents of Sicily, but forced local authorities to close a local airport due to high concentrations of abrasive volcanic ash in the air. Volcanic ash, which contains particles of molten rock, could damage aircraft engines and is considered a major risk for aviation
- Italy’s Civil Protection Department triggered a yellow, moderate, warning for Etna’s activity. Despite being known for its frequent outbursts, the volcano isn’t usually dangerous according to the Department, as its lava rivers flow slowly and require a lot of time to reach surrounding settlements. The volcanic ash, however, could cause a lengthy disruption to air travel and substantially worsen air quality in the Mediterranean region.
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